Chapter 128: Somewhere Fun

Time to Hunt[5]

Chapter 127: Somewhere Fun

I tightened my grip on the glass.

A heart.

I’d heard the word, but I was struggling to accept that it referred to the stone in front of me. Part of me still hoped I’d misunderstood.

Marven, however, seemed pleased with my expression.

"Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?"

"Yes... It does."

I cleared my throat, trying to hide the disgust in my voice. Hoping he hadn’t noticed my anger, I looked at the necklace again.

Marven mistook it for curiosity.

"You know, Overlap remnants, slain monsters... They’re all incredible resources. The artifacts and potions we use today, and even a significant portion of our technology, depend on them."

He held the stone by its chain and gently swung it.

"But people don’t know how to make proper use of the resources they have."

He spoke so casually that, for a moment, I couldn’t reconcile his words with the expression on his face. He’d looked just like this while talking about his wine.

"The thing most compatible with a human..." He lowered his gaze to the necklace. "...is another human."

My stomach clenched.

Marven turned back to watch my reaction.

"Have you ever thought it might be possible to use a dead person’s Nexus?"

I couldn’t answer.

I already knew the first part of what he’d told me. Potions made from monster remains, weapons, strange technologies woven into everyday life... None of that was surprising in this world.

But using another human being as a resource...

My eyes settled on the necklace.

That person had a name. Maybe they had a family waiting for them to come home, someone they were in love with.

Now Marven was wearing what he claimed was a piece of them around his neck, using it to impress a girl.

While walking around Ashenfall with Rose, I’d seen living beings with prices attached to them. I’d thought I understood at least a little of what people in this world could do to one another.

But I hadn’t understood anything.

I didn’t even know whether something like this was really possible. Marven might have been joking, or he might have been serious.

But when it came to this scumbag, the latter seemed more likely.

I slowly set my glass on the table.

What was I waiting for?

There wasn’t even an arm’s length between us.

He kept smiling at me, thinking the shy girl in front of him was listening closely.

I could kill him right now.

The moment the thought took hold, my heart began to race. The voice I’d endured all evening, his eyes roaming over me, the way he’d placed his hand over mine—all of it suddenly became unbearable.

I’d waited long enough.

I would never lose to someone this vile.

I could do it.

My fingers twitched.

Just then, a hand touched my shoulder.

I flinched slightly. When I turned my head, I saw Oswald.

He stood beside me, watching me calmly. I felt the coolness of his hand more than its weight. His white eyes held mine.

He didn’t say a word.

I realized I’d been holding my breath.

I slowly breathed in, then looked toward the crowd below. The tables, the staff, the people who had been moving around me since I’d arrived...

I was still in the middle of the club.

I didn’t even know what Marven’s necklace could do. And I couldn’t forget the Guardian protecting him.

For a few seconds, my anger had made me forget all of it.

"Layla?"

I turned back at Marven’s voice.

"What’s wrong? Are you bored?"

I looked at his face and breathed out. It took a few seconds to force my lips into another smile.

"No. Quite the opposite. I’m very interested in what you’re saying."

"Haha, really?"

He cupped the necklace in his palm and leaned comfortably against the couch.

"Girls usually find this kind of thing boring. As soon as I start talking about work or something, they change the subject."

After a brief silence, I tilted my head slightly.

"Hmm... Marven, have you dated a lot of girls?"

I made my smile a little more playful.

"I didn’t know you were a playboy."

His hand stopped on its way to his drink.

"Um..."

That’s right. Your turn to squirm a little.

"I might have dated a few girls," he said. "But most of those relationships only lasted a few weeks."

Abandoning his drink, he turned toward me.

"I haven’t found someone compatible with me yet. You know, a soulmate. I’m sure you’ve heard of that."

Hearing him use that word again sent a chill through me.

Compatible.

My eyes involuntarily drifted to the stone in his hand.

"I hope you find that person someday."

Marven chuckled.

He let the stone drop beneath his shirt and took my hand. This time, as his fingers closed around mine, he moved closer.

Far too close!

The heavy smell of whiskey on his breath filled my nose. As he leaned toward my face, I felt the back of the couch against me.

What?

His gaze briefly dropped to my lips.

What was he going to do?!

"Maybe I already have," he whispered.

My palms met his chest.

My body reacted on its own.

I shoved Marven away and sprang off the couch. He lost his balance and tried to catch the edge of the seat, but his hand slipped. A moment later, he was on the carpet.

I stood a few steps away, staring at him with my breath held.

My hands were still raised in front of me.

For several seconds, neither of us moved.

Marven looked at the floor, then at me.

Fuck.

My pulse pounded in my ears. I planted my feet, bracing for him to attack. If he made a sudden move toward me, I wasn’t sure I could keep up the act.

Marven’s expression changed.

"Hahaha!"

His laughter made me frown slightly.

"Sorry, sorry..."

He raised a hand, still laughing as he shook his head.

"I think I moved too fast. My mistake. I didn’t mean to scare you."

I parted my lips to answer, but no sound came out at first.

Marven got up and straightened his shirt. He brushed a hand over his pants, then looked at me again.

"I really scared you, huh?"

I brought a hand to my chest.

"A little..."

I didn’t have to act that part. Remembering how close his face had come to mine made me want to wash my skin.

Marven smiled as though we’d just put a small, amusing mishap behind us.

This time, he kept his distance.

"So... would you like to go somewhere fun?"

For a moment, I stared at him without processing his words.

Finally.

I’d begun to believe I would have to sit on that stupid couch and listen to him forever.

But despite his casual tone, there was something strange about his expression. He didn’t seem bothered by having just fallen to the floor. His eyes traveled over me again.

"Somewhere fun?" I asked.

I used Umbrella to add a faint blush to my cheeks. Bringing my hands together, I fidgeted with my fingers as though I were hesitating.

Marven laughed.

"Don’t worry. I’m not suggesting anything weird."

Sure, you son of a bitch...

"I thought you might like to tour my family’s factory with me."

My fingers stopped.

His factory?

I resisted the urge to glance at the open collar of his shirt.

Was he offering to take me to the place where that thing around his neck had been made?

I didn’t know. I had no idea what I would find at the factory, either.

A few minutes ago, I’d been certain I could kill him right here. Now I was thinking about how different going with him would be from the plan I’d had in mind.

In trying to get him alone, I was about to let him take me somewhere his family owned.

Oswald stood at the edge of my vision. I didn’t turn toward him, but knowing he was there helped steady my breathing a little.

Marven slipped a hand into his pocket and tilted his head.

"What do you say?"

I looked at his face.

I remembered the way he’d smiled while talking about the necklace. His hand over mine. The stone he’d let fall beneath his shirt...

I took a step forward.

Clasping my hands behind my back, I put on my brightest smile of the night.

"Yes. Let’s go."

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